How to Stalk a Nun
by lemacd
Summary: Someone follows Maria up the mountain. Another one shot and even though the title is creepy, the story is NOT. Please leave a review.


**Disclaimer: I don't own 'The Sound of Music' or the characters.**

**A/N: This one shot is the result of a challenge; to write about the Captain stalking Maria in a way that wasn't creepy. Thought I'd post it here because I like how it turned out. And I like attention. And I'm kinda bored at the moment. Please leave a review.**

**How to Stalk a Nun**

Captain von Trapp left his house late that morning motivated more by the need to not be home than to be anywhere else. He thought moving his children to the villa in Aigen would be a fresh start, a way to put the painful memories away. He didn't expect he would fully get over the loss of his wife, but he needed to do something to try and move on, if not for his own sake, but for their seven children. It wasn't working.

If only the governess that Agathe had hired after Gretl was born had agreed to move with them, he grumbled to himself. The children knew her and liked her. But instead he was cursed with a steady stream of completely incompetent women, either old prunes who frightened the children (and himself, if he were honest) or young neophytes that couldn't manage a houseplant, never mind seven unruly children. Then there was number ten, no… eleven, sent home the day before _during_ lunch. She was in the villa barely two hours when she cozied up to him at the dining table, called him by his first name and attempted to wipe his chin for him. As if that would appeal to any man!

So far the only thing he liked about the move to Salzburg was weather and the scenery. He had two loves in his life; his beloved Agathe and the sea. He lost both of them in a span of a few years. He thought surrounding himself with mountains would help him forget them both, but it didn't. He did, however, discover that he loved the mountains almost as much as the sea. They represented his homeland and that was a small comfort anyway.

Suddenly he found himself heading toward the Untersberg. The day was too beautiful to hide away in some gallery or concert hall. The mountain itself seemed to be calling to him, inviting him as if there was something there that would bring him the peace he so desperately needed.

Fool, he scoffed at himself. What do you think you'll find up there? Some old sage sitting on the top waiting to give you all the answers to life?

Still, the idea of some exercise, a chance to work his body and rid it of stress had some appeal. Sadly, it wouldn't be the kind of exercise he had in mind. No one climbed the Untersberg. Everyone took a train, a small rickety scenic train that carried tourists and school children to a spot halfway up the top.

"Would you like a ticket, sir?" The man at the counter patiently waited for him to make a decision. He looked at the crowd swarming the platform. If he wanted this much chaos, he'd have stayed home. He backed away from the counter and turned to leave.

"Good morning, Maria," the station conductor greeted someone over the noise of the crowd. "I knew I'd be seeing you today." The Captain was surprised to see that he was talking to a nun.

"Yes," she laughed as she practically waltzed by him. "I couldn't stay away on such a beautiful day like this!" The young woman nodded a similar greeting at the ticket clerk as she handed him her fare.

"You come so often, Maria. Why don't you buy yourself a pass?"

"And hide it in my Bible? No, a pass would make this particular transgression premeditated. Sister Berthe would have my neck." She laughed and headed toward the platform.

He watched her make her way to the front of the crowd, unfazed by the pushes and noise. Fascinated, he pulled out the change in his pocket and purchased a ticket. He lingered back a bit, but kept his eyes on her. She was in her own world. In fact, she moved around the station and onto the train as if it were hers. He boarded on the opposite end of the car, but made his way close enough to see her.

She shared her bench with a couple of small children on a class outing. She spoke to them, and they listened with rapt attention as she pointed out the window. As the train moved along, more children began to pay attention, leaning over the back of their seats to see her smile and hear her voice. By the time they reached the end of the line, the children were quiet enough for him to hear her. Her voice was sweet and soft, hardly what he thought a nun would sound like.

He waited for the entire car to empty before he got out. He scanned the crowd for her, and finally saw her just before she wandered down an off beaten path and out of view. He noticed the other visitors following the marked lanes in the opposite direction. He didn't even think about what he was doing; he hurried down the path she took, careful to stay far enough behind that she didn't see him following.

He didn't really have to worry much about that, it turned out. She was too wrapped up in the nature around her to notice anything else. She took her time, but walked with purpose, as if she knew where she was going but was not in any particular hurry to get there.

When they reached her destination, he thought he was discovered. He thought she called out to him, but just as he was about to reveal himself and apologize for intruding on her outing, he realized she was merely singing. He retreated back into the scenery shadows and listened.

She was amazing. He settled himself under a tree and listened to every note. Who sings like that? He marveled. Until now he would have thought people who _couldn't_ sing would chose the top of a lonely mountain for such self-indulgence. Here was a woman who could probably fill concert halls with her gift.

This mountain was her concert hall. No, she was a nun. This was her church. This wasn't self-indulgence, this was worship.

He understood how it was to feel that kind of awe. He always felt deep reverence when he was out at sea, when the waters were peaceful and at rest. It had been forever since anything in his life seemed peaceful. He wondered if that nun came here, to her mountain, to exchange inner turmoil for peace.

The Captain closed his eyes and let the fresh air and soothing sound of her voice lull him to sleep. He never felt so relaxed. It felt good and right to just… let it all go.

He had no idea how long he slept, but he was awakened by the sound of bells tolling from the city in the distance. It wasn't until he heard a shout of dismay and the pounding sound of her feet running by him that he fully came out of his stupor. He quickly checked his watch. It was so late! He slept the entire afternoon away. He saw the nun, her wimple clutched tightly in her fist, flying at a crazy reckless pace back down the path toward the train. He hurried behind.

"Maria! Where have you been? You are so late!" the conductor exclaimed as she leaped through the air and onto the train. The Captain joined her as well as a few other stragglers as they hurried to catch the last ride down to the city.

"Yes… yes… I'm so… late," she managed between gasps for breath. "Sister… Berthe… will have my… neck!" She still managed to smile at the conductor, and with a final deep gasp, flopped herself onto a bench. "Thanks for waiting for me, Gilbert. I don't know how to repay you."

"Pray for me, Maria." She laughed before falling into silent contemplation. The Captain sat back and did the same. He was glad he came. It didn't solve his problems to spend the day on the mountain, that was for sure. It may have even created a few and he would find out when he returned home to a frazzled housekeeper left minding seven wild children. He still didn't know what he was going to do about finding another governess, but he was glad he went up the mountain. His heart had been blessed.

When the train finally came to a stop, the young nun was the first to get off. Like a shot she was off and running. He didn't know what kind of trouble she was in, but somehow he didn't believe it would keep her from going back to her mountain and doing it all over again. The thought made him chuckle. Nuns. If she had been one of my men who was late returning from a day's pass, he mused, oh, well… in a way he admired that kind of freedom and spirit.

Once again he heard the bells peal from the towers above Nonnberg Abbey. A thought suddenly came to him. One nun helped him today. Maybe another could help him with his governess problem.


End file.
